Soughan: Inniskilling Fusiliers

I am researching the Soughan family name and their military connection.

Michael D Soughan (Born Old Brompton near Chatham in Kent 1847)

It has been passed down through the family that Michael's father was the Bandmaster for the Enniskillen Fusiliers. He died in the West Indies and his three sons who were then orphans (including Michael) had no alternative but to join up with the Enniskillen Fusiliers themselves.

I have found a M Soughan (Service No 1083) who was discharged from the Inniskilling fusiliers in 1886. It notes that he joined up in 1863.

Any help in finding more information on Michael, his father or his brothers would be much appreciated.

After a period of peace it found itself in South Africa where between 1837 and 1847 it was engaged in several of the numerous native wars that occurred during those years. From 1854 and 1868 it served in India taking part in the suppression of the Indian Mutiny and helping to preserve law and order in North-West India.

In the 1893 Poor Law record posted by ErikaH, it says Mary Ann was a "Lunatic Pauper, confined in the Licensed House at Salisbury called Fisherton in the County of Wilts."

Between their marriage in 1879 and up to 1892, Michael D resided "for three whole years and upwards at Fleet Street in the parish of St Bride Fleet Street in the City of London Union in the City of London; that he resided there in such a manner and in such circumstances in each of such years as would render him irremovable therefrom, and thereby acquired a settlement therein agreeable to the Act 39 [something] Vic Chap 61 Sec 34. . ."

The first wife is indeed a bit of a surprise. I'm not sure that I quite understand how she ended up in an asylum in Wiltshire if they married in Colchester and Michael was living in London. I wonder what circumstances "rendered him irremovable".

I had seen the history of the regiment before and my theory is that the Michael's father probably died in India rather than the West Indies ( I have seen India referred to at "The Indies" in other areas of research).

The Michael Soughan above in the 105th Regiment of Foot could be him although the discharge record that I have seen seems to suggest he served his whole career with the Inniskillings.

Dennis James Soughan was his son.

I haven't been able to find any detail on his brothers and suspect they may have joined other regiments.

From a Google search, it seems that there were so many paupers that some parishes, particularly in London, were spending more on supporting paupers than they were receiving in rates, and therefore had to redistribute as many as possible around the country.

Although talking about an earlier period in the 19th century, this link give lots of fascinating stuff:

Pauper Capital: London and the Poor Law, 1790-1870https://books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=0754630080David R. Green - 2010 - ?HistoryRedistribution threatened: irremovability and the 1846 Poor Removal Act ... of the Corn Laws, created a new category of non-settled but irremovable pauper.

" Although the removal of non-settled paupers could be cumbersome and expensive to execute, nevertheless it served to deter would-be applicants and was the only means by which guardians could shift the burden of relief elsewhere.In gaining a settlement, a person became entitled to receive relief from his or her parish, and therefore could not be removed. However, the grounds for establishing a settlement were exceptionally complex and costly to prove, depending on birth, parentage, hiring and service, apprenticeship, renting property, paying rates, serving a parochial office, or acquiring an estate."

Elsewhere:

"If a pauper lived in a new area for three whole years without asking for poor relief," he/she became irremovable."

"A further report in 1896 notes 669 patients in the asylum; the licence permitted 672. There were 135 private patients and 534 paupers paid for by local authorities. Among the pauper patients were 263 who were charged to London unions, 263 to West Sussex and 29 to Canterbury in Kent, some 140 miles distant. The commonest reason for their presence was full asylums locally. "

The marriage certificate looks like it will be the key. The ancestors name checker on the museum trace your ancestor link is drawing s blank but if may be worth contacting them as you suggest. Many thanks